Live data from Hacker News

Product Updates Based on Your Feedback

blog.google

361–370 of 475 posts

Re: Product Updates Based on Your Feedback

#361
post #353
post #344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mozilla don't have access to your data even with Sync turned on! They've confirmed it multiple times this week. One more reason to go with Firefox.

why do we trust them when they say this, when we don't trust google when they say it?

Because collecting user information is Google’s main business.

Re: Product Updates Based on Your Feedback

#362
post #268
post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost everything runs just fine in Firefox. Google software seems to be chrome-optimized, but it's usually only slightly slower on Firefox - it still works.

Some google websites are chrome only because of the use of some non standard plugins.

Do you have any details of which ones? I have not discovered any so far - everything seems to work just as well in Firefox (e.g. gmail, youtube, search, maps, adwords, adsense, analytics, cloud console, webmaster tools are the ones I requently use on Firefox with zero issues)

Re: Product Updates Based on Your Feedback

#363

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Who knows what Google is planning to change next time? It's not exactly a secret. Go download Canary and see what's in the pipeline.

You missed paren't point. It's not about if you can see the changes immediately in the next release, it's that you have to be constantly vigilant as to what they're going to do next, like looking over your shoulder. You can do that, but it's time consuming and exhausting. You're better off switching browsers.

That's overly dramatic. Both Chrome and Firefox are excellent browsers, and are developed in the open for all to see. They are examples of open source done right.

Re: Product Updates Based on Your Feedback

#364
post #353
post #344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mozilla don't have access to your data even with Sync turned on! They've confirmed it multiple times this week. One more reason to go with Firefox.

why do we trust them when they say this, when we don't trust google when they say it?

Data in Firefox Sync is end-to-end encrypted, while data synced to Chrome is subject to Google's privacy policy.

"The security model of Firefox Sync ensures that your sync data is encrypted before it ever leaves your machine, and that the password to unlock this encryption is never transmitted to the server. Not even Mozilla can access your sync data, so while we transmit it all over TLS for additional security, we do not depend on the confidentiality of TLS to keep your data safe."

https://medium.com/mozilla-tech/how-firefox-sync-keeps-your-...

"When you sync Chrome with your Google Account, we use your browsing data to improve and personalize your experience within Chrome. You can also personalize your experience on other Google products, by allowing your Chrome history to be included in your Google Web & App Activity."

https://www.google.com/chrome/privacy/

Re: Product Updates Based on Your Feedback

#365

He doesn't say Google doesn't track you with this stuff does he? My guess is they know exactly which sites you visited so the fact you can't see the History sync feature means he's being disingenuous about it not being turned on. And even if this isn't being used right now someone will eventually abuse that unwritten agreement between you and Google.

The privacy policy does say that it doesn't track you.

So that agreement is written down.

Re: Product Updates Based on Your Feedback

#366

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Completely agree. It's ironic that users who click "remember my password" are 10x more likely to forget their password. The next step in this equation is even more frustrating - people who's default workflow to signing in is to click 'I forgot my password', and proceed through those steps to instil a new password. And then the cycle continues.

> It's ironic that users who click "remember my password" are 10x more likely to forget their password. How is that ironic? People who can't remember their password would have the most reason to let an external apparatus save it for them.

People who can't remember their password often forget it due to having used that feature. Forcing yourself to type a password in over and over will pretty quickly encode it into muscle memory.

Re: Product Updates Based on Your Feedback

#367
post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But what is the user facing benefit? Syncing bookmarks, recently opened tabs, passwords, autofill(?). These are genuine benefits when you're working with laptops, desktops, phones and tablets. Whether they're worth the cost of data mining is another matter of course.

Out of the total population of the chrome users, how many really use more than 1 computer? These benefits may apply only for few users, probably in single percentage figures, which does not justify pushing it down the throats of everyone.

It’s pretty common for people to have a “work” computer and a “home” computer.

Re: Product Updates Based on Your Feedback

#368
> We want to be clear that this change to sign-in does not mean Chrome sync gets turned on.

Huh? That's even more confusing. How can you easily tell whether you're actually signed in to Chrome?

(I use Chrome at work to test. I avoid it wherever possible because Google's interests do not align with mine.)

Re: Product Updates Based on Your Feedback

#369
post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The competition to their products is a click away. People use google products because they find them more useful. If that's a result of the data they have, who cares?

It’s not the result of data they have but the other way around.

So because they make more useful products people give them data as opposed to money?

Re: Product Updates Based on Your Feedback

#370

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's ironic that users who click "remember my password" are 10x more likely to forget their password. How is that ironic? People who can't remember their password would have the most reason to let an external apparatus save it for them.

People who can't remember their password often forget it due to having used that feature. Forcing yourself to type a password in over and over will pretty quickly encode it into muscle memory.

This is a little ridiculous. Do you think there is no value in password managers? It's almost certainly better to have many complex passwords managed for you and only one strong password to protect them all, than to remember the same few passwords used across many accounts, decreasing the overall security of those accounts.

I understand healthy skepticism of Google, but essentially claiming password managers (which is what this feature is) are bad, for the sake of criticizing Google, is bad.

Post reply on HN